Super Bowl Halftime Performance

Prior to the game, Bad Bunny faced intense backlash for being selected as the halftime performer, as one of our classmates already covered. I personally disagreed with much of the backlash, particularly the criticism centered on his music being performed in Spanish. While I understand that English-speaking audiences may struggle to understand the lyrics, many popular songs succeed without lyrics at all. I believe that historical and cultural perceptions contributed to why some Americans were judgmental when they could not relate to the music, especially in Conway, SC. While watching the game at a restaurant, I noticed several people scoffing, murmuring, and even shouting negative remarks during the performance. At one point, a woman nearby became visibly upset and defended the artist, which highlighted how divided reactions were in that space. There was also commentary suggesting that Bad Bunny would be detained by ICE, including jokes and a bet on Kalshi about said outcome. The irony (ironybeing an understatement) is that Bad Bunny is a U.S. citizen by birth, as Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory. Comments like these, especially when echoed by public figures like the President of the United States or other widely shared ones, send a harmful message to Latino and all communities about belonging and citizenship. Additionally, there were negative remarks made about Brandi Carlile’s appearance during her performance. Despite the noise and packed environment, much of the criticism appeared unrelated to her musical ability. Instead, it seemed tied to her involvement with the LGBTQ+ community. Overall, the backlash surrounding the event reflected broader patterns of cultural, racial, and social intolerance rather than genuine critiques of performance quality. There was a post I saw on Instagram that said how Bad Bunny's performance received the most amount of Super Bowl viewings in history at 135.4 million. Despite all the haste, it seems like his performance went well. I personally felt like I was watching a music video with how detailed and illuminating the performance was. Moreover, as well as letting his performance do the speaking, he walked off the stage with a poster conveying, “the only thing more powerful than hate is love”, reinforcing a message of unity, something this country desperately needs. His performance was a live resistance to the public’s hostility, conveying this message with swagger.